The invention relates to a valve-actuating lever for reciprocating-piston internal combustion engines, which is supported on a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine or a part of this cylinder head, is in active connection with a cam of a camshaft, has an essentially inverted U-shaped cross section, is produced from steel sheet metal by a punching, bending, and/or deep-drawing measure, and has, in addition to a support plate for a shaft of a gas-exchange valve or for an intermediate piece, lateral guide cheeks.
U-shaped rocker arms and cam followers made with forging and shape-forming processes are generally known. In the cam follower from DE 42 34 868 A1 that is punched and pressed from sheet metal, the guide cheeks are part of the punched part and the cheeks are then bent. This process produces a certain height of the guide cheeks relative to a support plate arranged in-between, wherein this support plate is in active connection with the end of the valve shaft. If the distance of the valve shaft end relative to a plate supported on the valve shaft for a valve spring is equal to or shorter than the distance between the support plate and the ends of the guide cheeks, then there is the problem that the guide cheeks will contact the spring plate. This is not permissible.